Our team at Curtis Helms Insurance has extensive experience in the insurance industry, and one of the many types of coverage we offer is auto insurance. We understand driving can become frustrating for a variety of reasons. For example, another driver may cut you off, or you may be stuck in endless traffic, but it’s important to stay calm when behind the wheel and avoid succumbing to road rage.
For those who are unfamiliar with the term, road rage is aggressive or violent behavior triggered by frustration at poor driving conditions, and it can transform relatively minor driving incidents into dangerous confrontations. In this article, our auto insurance experts will go over a few strategies you can use to remain calm and avoid giving in to or provoking road rage.
- Watch for Aggressive Driving Behaviors – Through extensive data analysis, auto insurance experts like those on our team have learned to identify certain behaviors that indicate a driver is experiencing road rage. Common behaviors include tailgating, honking, excessive speeding, and aggressive or threatening hand gestures. Some drivers may even attempt to cut other vehicles off or force them off the road altogether.
- Move Away from Aggressive Drivers – If you notice a driver exhibiting any of the behaviors described above, our auto insurance experts encourage you to give the driver space. Let the car in question pass you or move a few lanes away if you can. Another way to put distance between yourself and an aggressive driver is to exit the highway and wait at a rest stop for a little while, then get back on once the problem driver has had time to gain some distance. Pulling off the road for a few minutes is also a good way to let yourself calm down if you find yourself getting angry or aggressive on the road.
- Accept and Acknowledge Mistakes – A third way to avoid falling victim to or contributing to road rage is to accept and acknowledge that drivers make mistakes. If you accidentally cut someone off, accept the mistake and give a wave of apology if you can, rather than get defensive. Similarly, try to move on when other drivers make mistakes that impact you negatively, rather than getting heated about them.